Classic Bike Ramblings RIDING INTO HISTORY.......... Riding into history. It’s something all of us are doing everyday. It’s something that can't be stopped for it’s the progress of man to leave history behind. The space shuttles are one mission away from being part of our "history". The men and women who "ride" them also part of it , and the spacecraft themselves in all their millions of miles of space travel will be regulated to "display only" for the future generations to marvel at what simple technology existed so long ago. For you see my dear friends I am a huge believer that historic machines must be preserved and shown and in as original condition as possible .They must be presented to the well knowledge and to the folks who just say "wow, that’s so cool!" Thought of in the late 60ties as the Apollo missions would wind down the first shuttle STS-1 "Columbia" would ride into history on April 12th. 1981. It would now be May 16th. 2011 while I drove up to the Full Throttle Office in Oldsmar to get the big double trailer for you see I was transporting 4 relics of motorcycling history to Saint Augustine in just a few days. Just before I left, the what should have been last shuttle flight, STS-134 "Endeavor" had lifted off into history. It seems there were others who were on a multi day mission of riding into history besides myself. After the next shuttle flight STS-135 "Atlantis" all the remaining shuttles (4) will wind up where so many of our vintage bikes do, on display in museums. After 30 years of service to our nation on or around July 8th. 2011 "Atlantis" will become the last shuttle to ride into space and into the history books, she will then be deployed at the Kennedy Space Center, "Enterprise" (who never flew in space) will be at the Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum in New York. "Endeavor" to the California Science Center in Los Angeles and "Discovery" will be at the Smithsonian. And you know my friends I think on my way to the 13th. Riding into History next year I will go by and visit the old spacecraft, seems only fitting that it should sit only 90 miles from St. Augustine for history must be visited whenever possible. These warriors of space will never again get to do what they had been built for, becoming static educational units for an interested public. For you see my readers I was on my own mission one I had been on in 2009 but was too overwhelmed to see the details, much like a persons first space flight. Its truly the
second trip you enjoy, you notice things. You’re a little more relaxed and you have an idea of what to expect. Over the next couple days I would be loading Fran Haasch & Mr. 500 my 1946 Moto Guzzi, my 1973 Condor a 1966 Gilera and the bike I would truly "Ride into History" on Fridays vintage ride, my 1974 Moto Guzzi Eldorado LAPD for I was going to the 12th. Annual Riding into History Concours d' Elegance Motorcycle Show. 400 vintage bikes from around the world congregate every third Saturday of May. This is an invite only, no entry fee, gathering of the greatest antique and classic bikes ever assembled and it is held outside the oldest city in America at an amazing venue called The World of Golf Village. Featuring a 1 mile in Circumference Lake where this incredible collection of motorbikes will be displayed to thousands and thousands of people all paying a ten dollar entry fee to see. With all the money donated to the Wounded Warrior Project. This truly amazing gathering of the best rides of history was started by Billy Aldrich who organized this after his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. Deciding he wanted to make a difference in this fight he would raise money using this event for breast cancer research and early detection. His wife is fine and with another sponsor picking up that charity Riding into History turned to raising funds for another truly worthy cause the Wounded Warriors Project. This is a non profit organization whose mission is to "Honor and empower wounded warriors" of the U.S. Armed Forces. It provides services and goods to get returning wounded veterans going again and to re-enter the civilian way of life after being injured in service to our great nation. Bill Robinson, Larry Meeker and John Duss have been an invaluable asset to the success of this event with $25,000 dollar checks this year and last given to a great cause, well done my friends. I had missed this vintage ride on Friday the last time I was here, and since I was bringing my two military singles up for the show I thought either would be great for my "Ride into History" after all it stated on the sign-up sheet, "A leisurely ride to lunch in St. Augustine". But about a month before I received an e-mail from Riding into History that made me re-think this approach when I saw it would be a 60 mile or so ride and a speed of 60ish. Mph should be maintained! This would be the upper limits of my old
war machines and although I ride these bikes often I don't enjoy thrashing them. I was assured by multiple e-mails from RIH my bikes "would work on the ride" and I believed them but I thought it unfair to the other bikes in the vintage ride to be waiting on me. And the fact that Kevin Schwartz was the Grand Marshall of this year’s event and lead rider and planner, well it made me think "how could this possibly be a leisurely ride "? With a former GP World Champion at the head of our pack! Kevin Schwantz was born July 9th. 1964 in Houston, Texas and riding motorcycles since the age of four. He was best known for his aggressive all or nothing racing style and for being world champion in 1993 .Kevin had 105 Grand Prix Races in a career that spanned 1986-1995 he would amass 51 podium finishes and 25 wins. Racing his entire career for Suzuki he was often dis-advantaged that his bikes were never quite as fast as his rivals Hondas and Yamahas But his win at all costs attitude made him a crowd favorite among Grand Prix fans worldwide but also made for some spectacular crashes. His last lap pass of rival champion Wayne Rainey to win the 1991 German Grand Prix with his rear wheel fish tailing almost on the verge of crashing was typical of Kevin’s "Its first or last" riding style. in 1993 he would win the 500cc World Championship. A crash laden 1994 season with a few decades of injuries catching up to him and with his rival Wayne Rainey being paralyzed in a crash in the 1993 Italian Grand Prix, well he would retire early in the 95 season. He is the second most successful American road racer behind one of his chief competitors of the era Eddie Lawson. The International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) in a rare move would retire his racing number (34) to honor his wins and world wide popularity. Kevin would run a couple years in the Australian NASCAR championships in the 90ties. And then return to the USA and compete in 18 races (with two top tens) in the NASCAR Busch Series. Inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame in 1999 and the FIM would name him a Grand Prix "Legend" in 2000. He now runs an amazing racing school at Barbers Motorsports in Georgia. So as I thought more about it I figured our leisurely 60 mile vintage ride may have a "quicker" pace then my 70
year old singles would like and as a new friend of mine on a very old Allstate scooter trying to ride with this historic pack would find out early on in the ride. But my Guzzi LAPD 850 was a great choice for the ride and the show. Well, on to our "Ride into History". Once again the RIH organization was impeccable. We met at the Renaissance hotels north parking lot, and the bikes were put into 4 or so orderly rows. It was a great collection to ride with BSA Lightning’s, a 47 Harley, a few BMW R/90's even a two stroke Kawasaki H-1 over 50 bikes in all, it would truly be "Riding into History" and was sure to be epic. After a brief safety riders meeting we left on an amazing looping and well planned ride with Kevin in front on a beautiful old GS 1000 Suzuki. Riding into history also sent a multi bike trailer along as a rescue ship but I’m happy to report she remained empty of bikes. We made a few stops to soak in the history of our surroundings where a couple 6 volt coils gave cranky kick starts for their owners and one stop where the owners quit kicking and went for the always optional "bump" start. But my pals, when you are riding into history it means you have to improvise, many a day my antiques have gotten me home using some tinfoil, sandpaper or a bungee cord. Great thing about "low tech" you can actually get yourself out of trouble. Unlike a couple of our shuttle flights that were "Riding into History" where all these millions of bits of "high tech" must work, there’s not much room for tinfoil on a spacecraft. The first would happen on Jan. 28th. 1986 the "Challenger" (STS-51) would come apart 73 seconds after launch ending the lives of 7 brave astronauts. Cold temperatures and a failed Oring would take her out. It would be 7 years later that seven more astronauts would "Ride into History" for on Feb. 1st. 2003 the "Columbia" (STS-107) would disintegrate during re-entry. Damage to the thermal protection tiles on lift off had already doomed this shuttle days before. Some riding into history do not return my good readers. When 50 or so vintage bikes and their owners pulled up at Harry's in St. Augustine, about a 1/2 mile from the old fort. It seemed a perfect setting, all our old warriors pointed out to the sea, they and the forts old rusty cannons ready too do battle yet today. I am so hoping our aging iron and steel machines out there were telling epic stories of past missions to each other as much as we, their caretakers were at our amazing lunch. With that it was time to ride the 15 or so miles back to The World of Golf Village as the Grand Marshall’s Dinner was that night. Upon getting back from one ride I decided to unload my 1946 Guzzi to take it for a spin around the Golf Village, roads tailored made for this old thumper. Around the hotel late Friday afternoon an amazing array of bikes are pulling onto the property for the big show tomorrow and its really hard for a guy like me to get much forward progress made at the task at hand. So many truly interesting bikes and like minded folks to chat with. Interesting thing about the collectors of historic or classic items there’s no one upsmanship be it coffee grinders or motorbikes there’s camaraderie a like mindedness. No jealously of what one man has, maybe a bit of awe but the guy with a 1924 Brough Superior or 1912 Harley looks at the other persons Vespa or Moto Guzzi with the same respect and interest. It’s
a true brotherhood at Riding into History from the fellow participants to volunteers. All the bikes are cool, special and deserving of a few minutes of attention or the swapping of a story or two. One such man I met was Mr. Kevin Schwantz Jack Wells. My initial meeting of Mr. Wells was at my first Riding into History in 2009. I pulled my 1946 military Guzzi into the unloading area and he greeted me and helped me off load. A cross between one of the ZZ Top brothers and a cool Santa Claus. I thought what a helpful volunteer and he really thought my old Guzzi was great. He said he liked military bikes. Only later did I find out that the amazing collection of WWII German and American military bikes were in fact owned by him. There were enough WWII vintage NSU, BMW, Zundapps and Harley WLAs' to recreate a few battles of this epic war. Many pulling original wheeled cannons and trailers that Mr. Wells has purchased in Europe when available. A retired airline pilot he is one of Americas largest and as I have found out most respected vintage motorcycle collectors. From his 1912 Abingdon King Dick, to his Guzzis to his war machines he is one cool dude, I want to be Jack when I grow up, for not only is he an amazing collector of bikes I like, he is just one easy going and great guy. Here’s to you Jack, keep "Riding into History”. You know it’s a good thing for America that the retiring shuttles don't have 2 wheels I think Jack would have one. Of course there is a few exceptions to any rule of thought and as I was getting my old Guzzi ready for its ride a guy with a trailer full of shiny Triumphs had pulled in, you know the over restored , stainless steel spoked, powder coated frame, 003 miles on the odometer kind. Well he said "You're going to ride that"? The shows tomorrow". I told him if the old girl started we would be on an epic ride to the Fountain of Youth where both the bike and I would like to get some lost years back. I kind of laughed as he pulled his detailing bucket out and I thought to myself”I fully intended my bike to be Jack Wells riding into history and not as he would be "pushing his bike into history" and with that I pulled out of the parking lot. I rode over to a Shell Station where at the pumps with me was a 1950 Ariel Square Four, an early 60ties. BSA and a early Vespa Scooter. We all rode off as equals, nobody better than the next. And that my 78 loyal readers is what I dig about this event, its people, its location. It is very possibly the number one vintage Concours d'Elegance in the nation but its not pretentious like other Concours, its billionaires with amazing bikes down to guys who had to budget for a year to be here and all of us in between. It’s an amazing collection of people with a like mind and causes much like what had to happen in our space program. So many competitive types putting it all out of mind for a common thought and making an amazing event happen, be it a shuttle launch or a truly one of a kind vintage event. I had not pre-registered for the Grand Marshall’s
Dinner and really only wanted a couple of Mr. 500's patented "Train Wrecks" and to mingle with some of my new buddies from the morning vintage ride. Some of the past Grand Marshall’s to have hosted this dinner include Peter Egan, Mert Lawwill, Craig Vetter and Dennis Gage. And there was the fact that I had a date later with a former exotic dancer I knew from a long time ago but that’s a whole other riding into (my past) history by-line. My inquisitive readers it was an amazing dinner layout once again run with NASA like precision and friendliness . With silent auction items from a restored Stingray bicycle to the newest Don Bradley Riding into History poster. Don has been doing a new poster for this event for the past eight years. They are truly works of art as Don himself put it "The art is just an expression of my strange imagination, which I have played with most of my life I am fascinated by females and antique motorcycles. The drawings are a way of creating and combining the two in a fun, fantasy world. I find that doing a painting, although two dimensional! is mentally similar to restoring or taking a long journey on an old bike, just in a different media". Don has been donating his time and artwork to Riding into History for the past 8 years and continues to come up with amazing poster art of amazing ladies riding Vincent Black Lightning’s, BMW R11's and Norton’s to name a few, I was thinking I'd like to see a lady a shuttle and bike combo, well like my writing shows I like different also. Well I had a few "Train Wrecks" in Jax Beach with the afore mentioned dancer and got in about 3:00 am hey I had a big day ahead of me I had to get in early, and as I pulled into the hotel the lot had become packed with all shapes and sizes of bike haulers, trailers and even rented U-hauls with plates representing half the USA and Canada. I checked my trailer and bikes and as I walked back to the hotel room I looked up at the moon and thought what a view the "Endeavor" must have, hurtling around the earth at 17,500 mph as they ride their chosen machines into history. And as I looked at all those trailers containing so much of motorcycling past , I thought to myself tomorrow my old warriors you will be the focus and topic of so many who will come to look at history and be truly amazed at what they witness. Its 7am Sat. May 21st. and as my pal Beetlejuice would say "It’s Showtime!” As with everything about this event the loading in of 400 vintage bikes in 2 1/2 hours (the gates open to the public at 10:00) is a well oiled machine and an enjoyable experience for all. With over 100 plus volunteers on hand, all cheerful, knowledgeable and very non confrontational (you know these events). There is no chaos. All the trailers being directed to spots, ramps coming down, volunteers helping with unstrapping, rolling bikes up to registration and watching our "stuff" and let me tell you we vintage collectors are not ones to let "others" wheel our beloved pieces of history around, but these guys know what they have in their hands and it shows. This has
got to be the way it is before a shuttle launch, a lot of trust and so many great people working so well together with all the "attitudes" left at home. Since this is an invite only event and most bikes are pre-registered you pick up your headlight sticker with year, make and class and as always you get a riding into history "freebie" a chair, or cooler just a cool thank you for being here gift. You are given a map of the lake and directed to your class location, you have the option of riding, pushing or having a volunteer help you place your bikes into position. I always chose to truly ride mine into history. Their is cheerful and friendly direction at every class section and between 7 and 10 am all bikes, vendors and judges are in place. Two charity rides end in the parking lot one from Jacksonville the other from St Augustine. And sometimes my fellow riders the visitors parking lot has its own amazing bikes, kind of a show within a show. Many interesting vendors line the rows of old bikes, one trying to bring a gallant old warrior the USS Charles F. Adams to Jacksonville Harbor, J&P cycles a major sponsor and the Chrome Divas who help and handed out about a "million" bottles of free water to a very thirsty crowd of visitors and participants. The BMW North East Florida club does so much in promoting and running this event they cannot go without mention here. About halfway through the day Kevin Schwantz would be autographing Dons posters, and assorted photos and hats, all to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. The immense task of judging 400 bikes in 30 plus classes (all of which deserve an award) falls to multiple teams of judges who start at 10:00am when the gates open and the last bike has been placed. With some classes going 60 bikes or more deep and very few awards given out, well it truly means something to have "placed" at this event. Its interesting here that like AMCA shows these judges really look to the original or near original bikes first. Also the rare or different bikes get second looks, it must be refreshing to the judges (and the public) when confronted with 20 restored BMWs or Triumphs that almost look like copies of each other, but there’s room for everyone there and all have a fighting chance. Many participants have chairs or tents, eager to talk to the paying public about their bikes, about history. I myself try to portray as much to the public through my displays and signage, as I want them to know what makes this bike special, its history, its character and that’s the true reason we are all there to give the public a show, a look at
our bikes a history lesson, like our old spaceships will soon be doing a chance for the public to see rare things up close and in person. They have spent the time and money to come see us; we owe it to them and the charity so many are trying to raise money for. I just like looking at everyone else’s bikes, I just can't sit there and chat my historic pals, there is too much to see, to do and to experience both at the show and at The World of Golf Village. The judging teams get it narrowed down and then bring in the lead or head judges to go over the choices. After about 60 or so of them huddle together it’s announced that the trophies will be awarded. There are 4 major awards and then first in class and awards of merit, usually 2 or 3 per class. It’s tough to get one but when you do it’s the highlight. For its recognition that you have something historic and of interest on a national level, something you the motorcycles caretaker knew all along. About 4:30 or so after the last award is given out and the handshakes are done the mass exodus begins as smooth and as orderly as 10 hours earlier and its worth noting that many of RIH's volunteers and staff had been there since 5:00am. I always wait, Im always the last bike out. About 6:00pm I start my bikes up and group them near my big trailer. There's only a few of us left John Duss and Larry Meeker two of the events biggest stars , folding tables, loading trucks and Jack Wells in his immense four door "Peterbuilt" bike hauler, loading his amazing collection of aging iron , and me with my few misfits of history ready to go home to St. Petersburg. It seemed like a proper ending this last group of us to together men and machines who truly represent the spectrum of Riding into History. As I pulled onto I-95 heading south "Space Oddity :Major Tom" by David Bowie came on it was dark and I swear I thought I saw the Endeavor go by...... 7 men Riding into History and both of us were about 200 miles from home. Robert "All is fair in Love" De Moss Trophy Count : 526 P.S. If you would like to contact me and discuss any article or ideas for future atricles you can e-mail me at
mr500@FloridaFullThrottle.com
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